A federal decide in Rhode Island has formally blocked the Trump administration’s spending freeze, saying in an order this afternoon that the funding freeze is probably going a violation of the Structure.
“Through the pendency of the Momentary Restraining Order, Defendants shall not pause, freeze, impede, block, cancel, or terminate Defendants’ compliance with awards and obligations to supply federal monetary help to the States, and Defendants shall not impede the States’ entry to such awards and obligations, besides on the premise of the relevant authorizing statutes, rules, and phrases,” Choose John McConnell Jr. wrote.
President Donald Trump solutions a query after signing an government order within the Oval Workplace on the White Home in Washington, Jan. 31, 2025.
Carlos Barria/Reuters
“The Court docket finds that the document now earlier than it substantiates the chance of a profitable declare that the Government’s actions violate the Structure and statutes of the USA,” he added within the 13-page choice within the lawsuit filed by 22 state attorneys common.
Earlier this week, McConnell signaled he would difficulty a short lived restraining order barring the Trump administration from freezing federal loans and grants, elevating issues the White Home would attempt to enact the identical coverage described within the now-rescinded Workplace of Administration and Price range.
The administration issued the memo Monday night time and gave companies a 5 p.m. deadline on Wednesday, nonetheless, a Washington, D.C., federal decide quickly blocked it from going by following a lawsuit.
Even after the OMB rescinded the memo on Wednesday, White Home press secretary Karoline Leavitt posted on X, claiming, “That is NOT a rescission of the federal funding freeze. It’s merely a rescission of the OMB memo. Why? To finish any confusion created by the courtroom’s injunction. The President’s EO’s on federal funding stay in full drive and impact and will probably be rigorously carried out.”
White Home Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt speaks throughout a press briefing on the White Home, Jan. 31, 2025, in Washington.
Jacquelyn Martin/AP
The put up by Leavitt, and doable try to sidestep an injunction, drew point out in McConnell’s order, with him writing, “Defendants shall even be restrained and prohibited from reissuing, adopting, implementing, or in any other case giving impact to the OMB Directive beneath some other title or title or by some other Defendants (or company supervised, administered, or managed by any Defendant), such because the continued implementation recognized by the White Home Press Secretary’s assertion of January 29, 2025.”
McConnell had harsh phrases for the Trump administration and justified his order — regardless of the OMB’s change of coverage — based mostly on Leavitt’s put up.
“The proof reveals that the alleged rescission of the OMB Directive was in name-only and should have been issued merely to defeat the jurisdiction of the courts,” he wrote.
It is a growing story. Please verify again for updates.
